Shilla
- Food served: Mon–Thu noon–2.30pm; 5.30pm–10.30pm; Fri/Sat noon–10.30pm. Closed Sun.
- Number of wines sold by the glass: 2
- Private dining: Up to 24 covers
- Also offers: Vegetarian options (at least ¼ main courses), Children's portions, Children's high chairs
- Music on stereo: Korean covers
- Capacity: 90
- Largest group: 24
- Open since: 2009
- Average price:
£12.50 (lunch)
£17 (evening meal) - House wine: £12.50 per bottle
- BYOB: £4 corkage
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The 2011/12 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).
This review is taken from the current (2011) edition.
As far as entrances go, it’s far from grand. But persevere – after an uncertain trip down a dodgy staircase, Shilla opens out into a maze of individual dining rooms, all exposed brick, lacquered tables and quirky wall paintings. Korean food is relatively unknown in the capital but with its emphasis on light, healthy cooking and charming family-style service, hopefully this is set to change. The menu is long but broadly splits into hot pots, rice dishes or sizzling plates. For starters, fried dumplings are exceptional – crispy potstickers, full of flavour with a great texture. The chargrilled king prawns are less successful, just a touch too dry – although the spicy sauce is good. For mains, the classic Korean bibimbap – a big bowl of rice, veggies and beef, topped with a fried egg, which you mix up with spicy sauce – is simple but tasty. Chargrilled mackerel with sea salt is outstanding, with the salt cutting through the oily flavours of the fish. All in, it’s a tactile, fun way of eating, particularly good for crowds and curious diners.
- High point: Discovering Korean cuisine
- Low point: The entrance really does need some work
Reviews of Shilla (13b Dundas Street, Edinburgh)
- 5. CV – 28 January 2011, 11:18am
ShillaReport -
Good food, cant say how authentically Korean it is, but its just as good as the Glasgow restaurant which is always busy with a mix of western and asian customers.
They are a bit stingy with the (free) kimchi plates though compared to Korean i have had in the US.
Note to the List - its not the only Korean in Edinburgh, Kims Mini Meals on Buccleuch Street (the food there is higher quality).
- 4. FraserC, Edinburgh – 31 August 2010, 3:35pm
ShillaReport -
This is possibly my favourite restaurant in Edinburgh. Its certainly the one i have returned to the most times. The food is amazing, the only problem is deciding what to have. plenty of Hite or soju to wash it down.Good fast friendly service. They have even made me a dish that wasnt on the menu, but that i loved whilst in Korea.
- 3. Rachel M, Edinburgh – 18 January 2010, 4:35pmShillaReport
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Brilliant place! Enjoyed the Glasgow one for years and glad its now in Edinburgh! Great food, good service and alue for money. Now a regular:-)
- 2. Jake M., Edinburgh – 8 November 2009, 1:05pm
ShillaReport -
We went to Shilla for a dinner for two. The entranceway is bizarre and could do with some work to be more inviting, but once you get down into the basement, you find a veritable rabbit's warren of differently-decorated rooms to chose from, and an extremely friendly and accommodating staff. We had the above-mentioned pantan, which were absolutely delicious, followed by the whole sea bass and deep-fried shell-on king prawns, with a side of stir-fried udon noodles. The food was very tasty (though quite salty) and extremely good value for money. The sauce did taste a bit like it came from a jar, but the meal was still very good.
Some Korean friends have also been a couple of times and insist that the food is not very 'Korean', but not having been exposed to much Korean food in the past, we can't comment on this. Whether you are a lover of Korean food or looking for something new to try, Shilla is well worth a visit.
- 1. fogAndWhisky, Edinburgh – 27 June 2009, 11:10amShillaReport
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Sure, Edinburgh's got French and Italian, Chinese, Indian, Thai and even some sushi. But I *love* Korean food and since Scotland has exactly two Korean restaurants I've been longing for this cuisine more than just about any other since I left San Francisco.
I only noticed Shilla a few weeks ago, quietly tucked away in a basement on Dundas Street. Turns out they've been there for about three months (why do I never get these memos?!), but we only managed to stop in this past Friday. Down the stairs (and past a cheesy 70s-era animated painting) Shilla opens out into a rather expansive space with cheery murals and lots of nooks and crannies. The service is cheerful with big smiles all around and the clientele is disproportionately Asian, which we took to be a very good sign.
As is traditional in Korean restaurants, our starter was preceded by a few small simple vegetable dishes (I would normally call these collectively "kim chi" though our waitress referred to them as "pantan"): spinach, potato (very lightly curried), spicy tofy, and aubergine.
Our starter was a "gun man do", essentially the same as Chinese pot sticker or Japanese gyoza: a pan-fried and steamed dumpling stuffed with pork. Very crispy on the bottom. The dumpling itself was a trifle bland, but this was made up for by the dipping sauce, salty and sweet with a strong taste of green onions.
Our first main plate was "bul go gi", a plate of char-grilled marinated beef mixed with sesame seeds, cress, onions, peppers and mushrooms. It was served with lettuce leaves and a spicy sweet peanut sauce. One spreads the sauce and the meat on the leaves, then wraps them up and enjoys!
Second main was "dol sot bi bim bap" a (nearly) vegetarian delight of mixed veg (courgettes, bean sprouts, lettuce and carrot) over rice topped by a fried egg. A spicy sauce is served alongside, so that it can be mixed to taste. For us, this meant chucking it all in and mixing.
We also got a plate of "proper" kim chi, a glowing red plateful of spicy pickled cabbage.
The food was all good, most of it delicious. A slight downside was that we weren't drinking and had to keep asking for water. Also, the plastic table covering on some of the tables (including ours) looked cheap and denigrated otherwise lovely decor.
The menu includes Korean beer, wines, soju and (akin to Japanese saki).
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